


Hidden Away

by FireNationGojira



Series: The Old World is Gone [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - The Fire Nation Won, Dead Aang (Avatar), F/M, Katara and Zuko (Avatar) are Parents, Married Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Order of the White Lotus, Ozai Is Dead, Piandao's Estate, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s03e18-21 Sozin's Comet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29911680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireNationGojira/pseuds/FireNationGojira
Summary: Aang falls. Katara and Zuko escaped from the Caldera. Ba Sing Se was liberated. The airfleet was destroyed. The War continued for another decade.A glimpse into the daily lives of Raizo, Kya, Ursa, and Hiro as they train under their parent's supervision.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Old World is Gone [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2185668
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Hidden Away

**Author's Note:**

> Zuko is about 34 and Katara is about 32 at this point in time for this fic. And the different parts of this series are not in chronological order so heads up!!!

Kya smirked as Hiro growled to himself, as they stared at the results on the far side of the range.

Longshot shook his head slightly and Kya promptly stopped her teasing. Hiro sighed to himself as the older man put a hand on his shoulder, offering quiet encouragement to his disappointed student. He'll catch up with his sister in due time, at his own pace. Looking back, he gave a certain look to his host, and ally, who was sitting on the porch cleaning his dao swords.

Zuko nodded back, to show he understood before glancing over to the other side of the courtyard, seeing the bright flashes of light as his eldest sparred with Ming in an ever rapidly increasing intense match. The former prison guard was still quite good despite her age, having been recruited into the Order some years before due to her personality and skill; but Raizo was giving her a run for her money as he launched a fierce offensive.

Ming on her part, only seemed to huff and sweat more as she reacted to his attacks with a calm grace. But age has definitely caught up with her, as she lost her footing, and was forced to retreat several steps from the oncoming prodigy. Raizo grinned in triumph, sensing a win out of sight.

Zuko would only ever confide to his wife about this, but every time he saw a flash of the sky in his son's flames, he had visions of his sister attacking him and it shook him. He was just thankful that Raizo never picked up on his flinches, and minute long held breaths.

Ursa however noticed, but was confused on why he acted that way; but he was grateful that she never pressed him about it, he didn't wish to talk about it with them. Not yet at least.

Zuko, having decided that his broadswords were plenty shiny, sheathed them, and strapped them onto his back before descending the steps. He could see that Hiro needed a break from archery, and a good amount of fencing may be just what he needs to get his mind off his moderately successful hits. Longshot, relieved Hiro of his bow and arrows, before gesturing over his shoulder towards his approaching father. With a heavy sigh, Hiro turned and jogged over to his father who waited patiently by an armor rack.

"You know that your shots are still extremely good right?"

"Whatever dad. Lets get to it." 

"You know that you beat Kya just last week in that little contest of yours. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"No, now come on. I could be perfecting my archery right now instead of wasting time."

With a frown, Zuko pulled on one of the sets of sparring armor with its accompanying helmet as his youngest did the same. Hiro obviously was frustrated and angry, but a few swings with a bokken would be enough to snap it out of him for a good amount of time. Hiro grabbed a single wooden sword before taking his spot in a dueling circle. Zuko grabbed a pair, having grown accustomed to his particular style of duel wielding swords.

Hiro struck with the speed of a cobra hawk and the ferocity of an armadillo bear.

Zuko couldn't help but feel a rush of pride despite his small amount of irritation at Hiro's rudeness. Despite not being as natural at archery as his sister, Hiro was a talented swordsman, and he was more than happy to teach him everything that Piandao had taught him so long ago. Even though he was the youngest, and by default the smallest and least physically developed, Hiro was still quick on his feet and precise in his movements.

Hiro growled in frustration as his strikes met either air, or a solid defense that sent him reeling back.

He knew that his father was an adult, with decades worth of fighting experience, and was a master swordsman. But considering his frustration from earlier, he found himself slipping up more and more as his emotions got ahold of him. He knew that he has yet to hit the brunt of puberty yet, unlike Raizo or his twin sisters, but he hated feeling like a child being led around as he and his father continued their martial dance.

Zuko on his part could see the rage spilling onto his son's face. He could see his own face in him from way back, when he to, was subject to fits of anger and disappointment at a lack of progress in his abilities, especially in comparison to his sister. That same drive was now present in his son who had begun to slowly lose technique and precision with each desperate swing and stab.

They both knew that he was losing his control, making one even more mad, and the other more pitying.

With a hard look in his eyes, Hiro glared at Zuko who released a sigh. "Hold still dang it. Let me hit you."

"Then hit me, don't talk about hitting me. Hit me."

Hiro let out a battle cry of desperate rage as he took a wild slash at his father's chest, only for his bokken to be parried out of his grasp. With a growl he rushed forward, banging his hands against his father's chest plate. "Why dad. Why am I so bad? Why can't I be like the others? Why am I such a failure!"

As Zuko bent down to look his son in the eyes, having tossed away his two bokken, they missed the looks of concern that Kya and Raizo shot their way.

"Hiro. Son. You want to go get some ice cream?"

Sniffling, Hiro nodded his head. "Yes."

Zuko smiled. Putting his hand on Hiro's back, the two walked away from the courtyard to enter the castle itself, heading for the kitchen on the floor above.

* * *

Katara hummed in satisfaction as Ursa looked up at her with a happy smile.

The training dummy that laid on the floor in front of them, with traced out chi paths across it; glowed with a bright blue hue which soon began to die down as Ursa took her hands and concentration off of it.

While Zuko took the other three out for another daily session of training, Katara managed to convince Ursa to spend today on healing despite her reluctance. 

It was funny. In the past Katara used to feel resentful that due to the societal rules and cultural norms of the Water Tribes, where women were moved to learn about the healing arts before anything martial in nature, and pushed herself to learn combat before healing. She wished to be a fighter first and foremost, like her brother, her father, like her fellow tribesmen. But now almost a couple decades since, she couldn't help but feel a little silly about the whole thing. 

Quite simply, waterbenders with a healing touch are precious gems amongst benders. They could do something that no one else can. Benders compared to nonbenders are a small minority, and waterbenders are also a minority amongst benders; and to make it rarer, not all waterbenders are able to heal, at least to not the same degree. She was herself unique, being exceptional at healing. So when one tries to understand that being a healer is a _privilege_ it quickly becomes something else. Not a societal limitation for women, but a skill that no one else can do. What can take weeks, to months, to even years of recovery and healing, could take a waterbending healer only minutes to fix. 

They shouldn't be in a rush to learn combat training if it means to neglect an entire discipline of waterbending all together. Both were vital, and the North Pole had failed to understand that realization even when the Fire Nation came back a second time four years after Sozin's Comet. Hundreds of tribesmen and women were now enslaved across the world as a result of this ignorance. Healers couldn't be constantly in a war zone lest they expose themselves to be killed, which is exacerbated when they have no combat training. And warriors without medical knowledge and first aid training would find that they couldn't patch up their comrades and friends on the spot when needed, leaving many to face possibly fatal injuries on their own.

"Good job Ursa. I think you've earned yourself a break now, you've been at this all morning."

With a grin, Ursa looked up to her mother's smiling face, a question on her lips. "Do you think we can have lunch now?"

Kissing the top of her daughter's head, Katara nodded. "Of course my little seal pup. Of course. What do you want?"

"Could I have some fruit tarts please?" Ursa batted her pretty little eyelashes while making her best puppy face at her mother.

Sighing, with a hidden smile, Katara kissed her again. "I spoil you too much. Sure thing, come now." The mother and daughter stood up and walked out of the room, and then headed down hall towards the kitchen. Katara's ears perked as she heard sniffling, muttering, and rustling from the kitchen. It seems that they may not be the only ones who are hungry.

The two girls found Zuko taking a scoop of chocolate flavored ice cream and putting it on a cone for a red eyed Hiro. Katara moved over to Hiro's side and turned him to face her, as Ursa went to grab her snack. Ursa snuck a peek at her brother as she dug out the ingredients to make fruit tarts, but stayed silent and minded her business; she knew that Hiro was very proud and hated being pitied or being crowded over something emotional.

"What happened dear? Was there a fight?" Katara looked up from where Hiro was hugging her tightly, and gave her husband a questioning look.

Zuko shrugged slightly, as he held out the dessert to his son, who took it after giving his mom another squeeze. "Hiro is just a little frustrated at his ability to keep up with Kya's archery. I then had us fence with each other, but he got more frustrated, so I decided to bring him inside to give him some ice cream."

Hiro stared down at his ice cream for a few long moments, before deciding to take his first bite, almost reluctantly. It was obvious that he was still a bit mad and upset to the others. Katara cocked her head with a frown as she watched Hiro silently eat his ice cream, wanting to say something, but not knowing quite what to say. This isn't the first time Hiro has gotten upset about his lack of raw, natural talent, at least in comparison to his siblings.

"Hiro... you know it is perfectly normal to feel upset at a lack of progress."

Hiro stayed silent.

Katara sighed as she put a hand on her youngest son's shoulders, rubbing it in a small circle as she continued. "All it means is that you have the will, the spirit, the drive to become better. To become stronger. That isn't a bad thing at all. A drive like that will do you well in life, it will take you far... it will keep you alive. It means that you will constantly look for a way to overcome a struggle, a challenge, a difficulty."

Zuko smiled as he watched his wife relax his son's shoulders as he stopped sniffling. Hiro remained silent still, choosing to eat his ice cream instead of reply bitterly as he normally would.

"Your father would know. Despite how he appears now, he once struggled as well. He isn't a natural like I am at bending for instance."

Zuko scowled from where he leaned against a counter.

Katara smiled softly as her son turned to face her with something of a curious look in his honey eyes. He had calmed down quite a bit, the tension in his posture was gone. "But despite how far the end of the tunnel may seem to be, it is still there regardless. It's not a matter of _if,_ but a matter of _when._ You will get better. I _know_ that you will get better. After all you're only 13. You have many years of growth and training ahead of you yet. Raizo, Ursa, and Kya are all older than you, it's natural to feel that you must catch up with them a little bit. To be as mature and strong as they are. After all no one wants the feeling of being less than adequate.

"I just want you to have some trust in yourself. If not, then have some trust in me at least."

Katara smiled as Hiro finished with his ice cream before moving to her hug her again. She may not always know what to say, or the best way to say it, but she'll be there when he needs it regardless. She hugged him back to, a warmth in her chest.

"Thanks mom."

"Anytime sweetie, anytime."

Ursa quietly walked up the two, and joined into the hug, showing her support for Hiro who squeezed her arm in thanks. Zuko with a lighter look on his face, also moved to join them, leaving the four hugging next to the kitchen counter.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, Ming is the guard who was nice to Iroh when he was in jail, the one he warned to leave during the eclipse. And if you're wondering, yes, Longshot is a part of the Order in this AU.


End file.
